streets

Coronation Street legend shared how her on-screen storyline prompted her to get checked for cancer

Coronation Street’s Sally Dynevor has candidly discussed her harrowing battle with cancer, confessing it “changed my life completely”.

The soap icon, who recently marked four decades on the famous cobbles, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Following a lumpectomy and six months of chemotherapy, she thankfully made a full recovery.

At the time of her diagnosis, Sally’s on-screen persona, Sally Metcalfe, was also grappling with a breast cancer diagnosis, mirroring her real-life ordeal.

During Wednesday’s (February 11) episode of Loose Women, Sally joined panellists Christine Lampard, Janet Street Porter and Coleen Nolan. Conversation inevitably turned to her health struggle after Corrie co-star Beverley Callard recently disclosed her own breast cancer diagnosis.

Sally confessed that her diagnosis “completely changed her life.”, reports the Daily Star.

She reminisced: “My character had breast cancer and I had to tell Carla Connor (played by Alison King) that Sally had breast cancer. That was a very, very difficult scene because I knew I was leaving at that point.”

The actress revealed: “I wanted to carry on working. I didn’t want to stop, but the moment that I was told I needed chemo that’s the moment that I realised that actually this is serious.

“But hopefully for Bev, she’s caught this early so she will be hopefully back at work and carrying on doing what she’s doing.

“It’s very hard for women because if you’re a working mum and the breadwinner, then you want to carry on. You need to be working.”

In an emotional revelation, Sally confessed that her character’s storyline proved instrumental in prompting her to seek medical examination.

She said: “I’ve still not come to terms that it happened and maybe if I hadn’t had the storyline, maybe I wouldn’t have checked because I was only 46.”

She went on: “I thought it was, you know, much older women but it’s not. I mean thank goodness there’s much more information out there now than there was 15 years ago when I got it. But now we’re talking about it, which is very important.”

She recalled: “I remember my first day back on the street after having eight months off or six months off and walking down the cobbles and going.

“I am so grateful for this because once you have something taken away from you. You think that’s it, and then to get it back is just, wow, I mean, you don’t take it for granted.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX and Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

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With a palace, a castle and ancient volcano all within visiting distance of each other – it’s no wonder this Scottish city has been voted as the UK’s number for a break

The UK’s best city break has been revealed, and it’s famous for its beautiful buildings, historic castle, and even Harry Potter links.

From historic streets, to cultural spectacles, to iconic landmarks, scenic views or vibrant food scenes, the UK has a fantastic range of amazing cities for travellers to choose from but Sykes Cottages has revealed some of the highlights across the nation after a study revealed that 49 per cent of Brits choose cities for their top five breaks.

Edinburgh, which is also hailed as the UK’s most walkable city, took the top spot in the rankings. This bright and bustling city seamlessly combines the historic and the modern with Edinburgh Castle, one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, and Holyrood Palace, the official Scottish residence of the monarch originally built as an Abbey in 1128 connected by the Royal Mile, the historic spine of Edinburgh’s Old Town and the city’s world-famous Fringe Festival, one of the greatest celebrations of modern art and culture in the world.

As well as hosting the Fringe, Edinburgh is also the city where J.K Rowling lived when she was writing the Harry Potter books and people can visit The Elephant House café which is where the legendary wizard was first created.

There’s a wide array of accommodation too whether you’re looking for cosy holiday cottages or cheap hotels, although it’s worth noting that some popular seasons such as the Fringe can see prices surge in some areas.

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Sykes Cottages offers a wide range of handpicked holiday homes across the UK and Ireland, from cosy countryside retreats to stunning coastal escapes. Prices start from £27 per night

For major Harry Potter enthusiasts, the city also offers a Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour which allows people to explore Edinburgh through the lens of Harry Potter.

With storytelling, the written word and art and culture playing such a prominent part in the city, its contributions were recognised in 2004 when it became the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature.

Visitors can wander through the city’s cobbled streets and take in its incredible architecture and street designs, or hike up to Arthur’s Seat and enjoy the amazing views from atop the ancient volcano.

Calton Hill is also a must visit and is included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. The panoramic skyline views from the hill are renowned and pictures taken from there are regularly used in photographs or paintings of the city. The hill features the neoclassical landmarks including the National Monument, Nelson’s Monument and the Dugald Stewart Monument.

One reviewer of the city said: “Absolutely love Edinburgh, amazing city! So many gorgeous restaurants and cafes, lots of different vibes but I love the laid-back café culture Edinburgh does so well. Arthur’s Seat is great to climb and has gorgeous views across the city.”

Another said: “Edinburgh is a fantastic place to visit – the Royal Mile and the Castle are definitely worth a visit and there are some spectacular bars and restaurants that we thoroughly enjoyed.”

Do you think Edinburgh is the UK’s best city break? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Charlie Lawson, famed for his legendary Coronation Street role of Jim McDonald, has said that soap bosses “can’t ruin” his character anymore after killing him off

Coronation Street legend Charlie Lawson has claimed that bosses “ruined” Jim McDonald with his final storyline. The actor, 66, starred as criminal Jim, famed for his tumultuous marriage to Rovers landlady Liz (Beverley Callard) on and off from 1989 but it was recently announced that the character will receive an off-screen death.

Over the years, the character, who is father to Steve (Simon Gregson) and Andy (Nicholas Cochrane), was involved in numerous hard-hitting storylines involving alcoholism, infidelity and domestic violence, and he had went to prison numerous times for his crimes.

Liz and Jim married twice, but split for the final time in 2005. During Jim’s last stint on the cobbles, he arrived with a woman claiming to be their daughter Katie, whom they had lost shortly after birth early in their marriage. He told Liz that there had been a mix up at the hospital, but this all turned out to be a lie. The girl who in question was actually Hannah, his new lover, and they had concocted a wicked scheme to try to scam Liz out of money.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s Beverley Callard’s health woes after cancer diagnosisREAD MORE: Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson speaks out as ITV soap kills off Jim McDonald

The pair were later arrested but could not be charged with anything due to a lack of evidence, and Jim’s current whereabouts remain unknown. Charlie, who has also appeared in The Bill, Bread and Doctors throughout his lengthy television career, has now hit out at the “weak” storyline, which was brought in when Kate Oates, who later went on to work on EastEnders, was in charge of the soap.

Charlie said: “The storyline was weak. So many people contacted me to say they hated it. I agreed to it before I even saw the script. The work was lucrative — you can’t really turn it down. Now he can’t be ruined any more. He’s out of his misery.

“I know I will watch that last scene and be able to say, ‘Well, what a load of s***** that was’. I will raise a glass to the old Jim, the one I loved and was proud of, who spoke his mind, with cracking, strong storylines in the Nineties.”

However, Charlie, whose character became known for his catchphrase “so it is”, was informed of Jim’s death by bosses towards the end of last year, insisted that he has “no regrets” with how things have turned out. Speaking to The Sun, he added: “There are some bits I will miss about Corrie and some I won’t. But I have no regrets. That’s just life, so it is.”

It all comes just days after the actor, who has also enjoyed a stellar career in theatre, was contacted to directly by fans on X who wanted to discuss the controversial storyline. Writing to Charlie on X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan wrote: “It was grotesque. Whoever thought up that storyline had a warped mind, astonished it got beyond a ridiculed idea. Felt for @charlie_lawson1 having to act that out knowing how character’s legacy was being tarnished in that vile way.”

Another fan replied: “Yes, it was terrible, not least because it showed how little the writers knew about their own character!! As an experienced actor, Charlie would have known him inside out!! It was so lazy and weak and just didn’t make any sense!!!”

Other fans had also recalled the odd storyline, with one writing: “Started thinking about Jim McDonald’s absolutely dreadful 2018 stint in Corrie. His whole thing is that he wants his family together and damned be anyone who gets in his way. But the 2018 storyline is him going for revenge against Liz in the most hurtful way he can.

“Like even when he hit her in the 90s, that was in response to her confessing to an affair. Which is him seeing her as trying to break them apart. In that moment he’s not thinking how could you do that to me, he’s thinking how could you do that to us.”

Charlie did not respond to the tweets, but did initially repost them. Another fan wrote: “Absolutely atrocious story. It was actually even worse than when he robbed the bank. As silly as that was, at least A/ it was entertaining B/ it was more in character for Jim. This was the worst one of them all and ruined the character and the fact that they are not giving him a redemption is awful.”

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Tony Maudsley has played undertaker George Shuttleworth on Coronation Street since 2020

Coronation Street’s Tony Maudsley has delighted fans after giving them a rare look into his family life.

Tony joined the ITV soap in 2020 as George Shuttleworth, the son of the late undertaker Archie (Roy Hudd). Since then, he’s become a firm favourite with viewers.

After his father’s passing, George took the reins of Shuttleworth’s Independent Funeral Directors on Tile Street, bringing in his mate Todd Grimshaw (Gather Pierce) as his right-hand man.

In 2022, George’s family grew with the arrival of his sister Glenda, portrayed by Jodie Prenger, on the soap. The former cruise ship entertainer quickly won over viewers with her close bond with her doting brother.

He also played a part in several big storylines – including his relationships with Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) – who left the soap last year – and his current romance with Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins).

As well as Corrie, Tony has appeared in Queer As Folk, Emmerdale and even the Harry Potter franchise in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He also starred in the hit ITV sitcom Benidorm playing hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke from 2011 to 2018.

The telly star is also no stranger to keeping his loyal legion of 77k Instagram followers updated on his everyday life. And this week, he had his co-stars and fans swooning after an adorable family update.

Giving fans a rare look at his private life, Tony uploaded several photos of his adorable dog after their groom. He captioned the post: “Took Bosie to a new groomers today in Worsley Village and they did a great job! They even cleaned his teeth (well the few he’s got left!)”

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He added: “New business so give them a try if you’re local! Idyllic setting so perfect for a lovely walk, post-pamper!! Oh by the way that chunk of fur out of his leg wasn’t done by the groomer he had blood tests last week so that was down to the vet!”

Unsurprisingly, his co-stars and were left swooning by the post with Sally Carman writing: “Blow OUT,” along with a love heart eyes emoji. Someone else gushed: “Beautiful boy! Looking fab Bosie.” A third penned: “Omg he is so cute! That face!” Another said: “What a cutie!!!”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

Bruce Springsteen released a new protest song Wednesday condemning “King Trump” and the violence perpetrated by his “federal thugs” — referring to immigration officers — in Minnesota.

“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen wrote on his social media platforms, sharing his new song, “Streets of Minneapolis.” “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”

Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot multiple times and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an immigration raid on Jan. 7. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA hospital who had protested President Trump’s immigration crackdown and Good’s killing, was shot and killed by ICE agents on Jan. 24.

Both Minnesotans are memorialized by name in Springsteen’s new rock song, which describes the immigration crackdowns and the protests by those who live there. His scathing lyrics also denounce Trump advisor Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for their statements following the killings, which were contradicted by eyewitness accounts and video.

“Their claim was self-defense, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes,” Springsteen sings with his familiar rasp. “It’s our blood and bones / And these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.”

Both Miller and Noem justified the shootings in the immediate aftermath. Miller called Pretti “a would-be assassin,” and Noem accused Good of committing “an act of domestic terrorism.” Videos later surfaced contradicting their statements.

Springsteen, who has long been an outspoken critic of President Trump, also calls out immigration officials for their racism and for claiming “they’re here to uphold the law” yet “trample on our rights” in his new song.

In a statement to the New York Times, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said that “the Trump administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information.”

Multiple celebrities, including Olivia Rodrigo, Pedro Pascal, Billie Eilish and Hannah Einbinder, have also spoken out against ICE and the immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis.